The Allure of Posting Packages: A Necessity or an Addiction?

[Cedric]

We all know that maintaining an active forum is crucial to its success, but have you ever found yourself getting hooked on those posting packages or Content Bundles as we call them?

For those who might be new to the concept, Content Bundles / Posting Packages is a service we offer to create new content, contribute to ongoing discussions, and engage with other users. These packages can range from daily challenges like sharing your insights on a trending topic, to weekly tasks such as crafting a detailed tutorial or a new article. They serve as a way to kickstart conversations, spark interaction, and keep the forum's activity levels consistently high.

But do you find this service additive?
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room - the addictive nature of these posting packages. Have you ever found yourself eagerly anticipating the release of a new package? Do you feel a rush of excitement when you check off tasks and see your post count rise? It's not uncommon for webmasters and forum enthusiasts to become engrossed in this process, almost addicted to the feeling of accomplishment that comes with completing each task. But does this addiction hinder genuine engagement, or does it actually enhance it?

The Pros and Cons of Posting Packages
On one hand, the addictive nature of posting packages can lead to an influx of new engaging content. As members strive to meet the package requirements, discussions bloom, and the forum becomes a hub of activity. It's a win-win situation - more engagement for the forum and a sense of achievement for the members. On the other hand, there's the concern that this addiction might result in quantity over quality. Are members posting just for the sake of meeting the package criteria, without giving due thought to the value of their contributions? Does this compromise the authenticity of our discussions?

The Balancing Act
So, where do we strike the right balance? How can we leverage the allure of posting packages to fuel valuable discussions while maintaining the integrity of our forum's content? How do we ensure that the addiction to posting packages doesn't overshadow the primary goal of encouraging meaningful interactions?

Let's use this discussion to share our experiences. Have posting packages transformed the engagement levels on your forum? Have you witnessed any unintended consequences? How do you manage to keep the content quality high amidst the excitement of completing tasks? At the same time, we can also evaluate what everyone's thoughts are on this subject. And hopefully be able to improve our service even more.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but by sharing our perspectives, we can learn from each other and discover strategies that work best for our unique communities.

Do you enjoy ordering posting packages or Content Bundles or was the one time you ordered it not for a repeating course?

The floor is yours, fellow webmasters! Share your thoughts, experiences, and insights on the addictive nature of posting packages and their impact on creating new content and activity on your forum.

 

[joelr]

Pay to post is tricky. It needs to be tightly monitored to ensure it's done well.

There are several problems:
- Engagement is not sustainable. It literally stops once the money runs out.
- Theres a lack of care or detail. The person who is paid is highly incentivized to fulfill the package as quickly as possible.
- It's not in depth. You're usually asking other webmasters to create questions and content in other niches like gaming (do they play the game? Do they know anything about the game? Do they write questions that resonate with the gaming audience?)

I'm not against pay to post in general. Money is a powerful tool to scale and leverage. For anyone looking to utilize content packages, my suggestions:
- Give background. Give your poster a link to latest gaming release, and ask them to write content related to that. That's going to be much more relevant rather than letting them start from scratch.
- Be targeted. Give them a focused niche or topic, along with some keywords or subject material.
- Understand the purpose. Are you going for engagement? Ask them to write controversial topics. Are you going for evergreen content? Ask them to write a comprehensive article with timeless principles.

 

[Cedric]

Pay to post is tricky. It needs to be tightly monitored to ensure it's done well.

There are several problems:
- Engagement is not sustainable. It literally stops once the money runs out.
- Theres a lack of care or detail. The person who is paid is highly incentivized to fulfill the package as quickly as possible.
- It's not in depth. You're usually asking other webmasters to create questions and content in other niches like gaming (do they play the game? Do they know anything about the game? Do they write questions that resonate with the gaming audience?)

Engagement stops when there is no organic traffic or the lack of a community to keep engagement flowing. So while what you say is true, posting packages should never be a replacement of a community's activity. In many cases, it should be used to kick start a community or have an additional influx of content. The lack of care or detail is something that needs to be carefully looked upon before ordering a posting package. You can easily do that by having a look at former orders by other members.

I'm not against pay to post in general. Money is a powerful tool to scale and leverage. For anyone looking to utilize content packages, my suggestions:
- Give background. Give your poster a link to latest gaming release, and ask them to write content related to that. That's going to be much more relevant rather than letting them start from scratch.
- Be targeted. Give them a focused niche or topic, along with some keywords or subject material.
- Understand the purpose. Are you going for engagement? Ask them to write controversial topics. Are you going for evergreen content? Ask them to write a comprehensive article with timeless principles.

Those are good suggestions, I would never advise to have posting packages simply participating in non-value general topics. They should always be focused around the niche.

 

[Reverie]

I think posting packages can be nice to have new opinions/activity from different users. People are all different so we think of different things. I think being able to give people of an area to focus on is helpful because it can help your niche, and help you as an admin get content where you're wanting it. Also giving them specific topics or areas will also allow them to hyperfocus on helping you the best way you can.

I would say exchanges between members is actually more helpful in the end because it comes off more organic that way and it can be done as both agree to it! Posting packages are a great use of credits though if you're seeking out an instant few new threads and etc.

 

[Jason]

I love posting packages of high quality, but a problem is you have to keep getting them because you want the posters to be like regulars (people always there and posting).

 

[Ravenfreak]

I think packages are great, especially if you have a brand new community. It can be difficult to keep people coming back though, and over time if you continue to use packages you might end up getting the same people to work on your package. There's nothing wrong with that IMO, as long as you've got activity on your forum and you are posting on it too then it's fine. A forum that has at least two people active on it can possibly bring in other people over time.

 

[ClicketyKat]

I really only take advantage of posting packages when I feel my site needs an extra boost to keep things going. I'm not trying to build the site purely through a posting package and would prefer to have organic posts when possible. Sometimes posting packages can get conversations going, but they have to be the right kind of posts and threads. The same old What's your favorite...doesn't always bring on new discussion. But if the packagers posted from personal experience such as, I have this problem, can you help...then that will draw more attention and people might choose to login and respond.